Bodies of two missing FC personnel recovered in Bannu

Two Pakistani paramilitary personnel who went missing in Bannu district have been found dead, with police saying on Monday that unidentified men allegedly abducted them before their bodies were recovered from a graveyard. The incident comes amid heightened security concerns in the district.

How did two missing paramilitary personnel end up dead in Bannu?

The bodies of two Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel who went missing in the Saifan Kozi Khel area of Kurram Garhi on Sunday evening were recovered from the Kamali graveyard in Palosi, police said.

The deceased were identified as Havaldar Ishaq and Sepoy Umar Hayat, both serving in Platoon No. 59 of the Frontier Constabulary. According to law enforcement, the two personnel were allegedly abducted by unidentified armed men from Saifan Kozi Khel, which falls within the jurisdiction of the Cantt police station. A search operation was launched immediately following their disappearance.

The bodies were shifted to a hospital for post-mortem examinations before being handed over to their families after the completion of legal formalities.

Security was subsequently tightened across the area as police launched a wider search operation to trace those involved in the abduction and killing.

District Police Officer Muhammad Furqan Bilal confirmed that police had been placed on high alert across the district, resulting in intensified patrolling, additional checkpoints, and increased security checks of suspicious individuals and vehicles. Authorities have urged residents to carry their original national identity cards while travelling and to cooperate fully with personnel at checkpoints.

No official statement has so far been issued on the motive behind the attack or the identity of those responsible. However, the security situation in Bannu has remained tense in recent weeks. The incident follows a broader trend across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which recently witnessed a 50 per cent surge in terrorist attacks.

Why has a terrorism case been registered against KP minister Shakeel Khan?

In a separate incident, a case was registered against Provincial Minister Shakeel Khan at a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station in connection with the alleged firing at personnel of an intelligence agency.

The case includes charges related to terrorism and attempted murder. Khan has been accused of opening fire on the personnel and injuring two of them.

However, Shakeel Khan described the incident as an alleged attempt to abduct and kill him. In an official complaint, Khan stated his vehicle came under attack in Malakand district while he was traveling in his constituency to meet party workers in Batkhela.

According to his account, his security detail noticed a silver car following their vehicle along the Batkhela bypass. The vehicle pulled alongside his car, and a passenger in the front seat opened fire with a pistol. Khan noted that the driver of the pursuing vehicle was wearing a mask, while three other armed men in the back seats also opened fire. According to the complaint, his security guards only returned fire in self-defense, targeting the tires of the alleged attackers’ vehicle.